I grew up in central Florida – shielded from the coast by a mere 40 or so miles. My childhood memories of hurricane season include board games and stocked pantries while storms raged outside our living room window. Simple rainy day fun in my young mind. Yet, I distinctly remember the devastation to our neighbors in the south from Hurricane Andrew. I was thirteen years old. Old enough to join my parents and older sister, huddled around our television, watching the images in horror as the news anchors reported from the rubble. Fear rose inside my spirit and light-hearted rainy day board games were replaced with anxiety and an understanding of the devastating power of these massive storms.

As Beth Moore eloquently states in her recent Christianity Today article, “Every coastal city knows it could be next. We have to have our neighbors to survive.”

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I’ve been EXHAUSTED from social media in the past year (or couple of years, really). The tension and the viciousness are too much to take some days.

I want to shut it all down. I want to sign off and ignore everyone’s opinions and soapboxes. Even though a lot of the information shared is GOOD and knowledge is power… the responses are often laced with anger and hostility. (This may sound harsh but I wonder if I’m not the only one who has felt this way lately.)

But, oh my heart. I have been absolutely astounded by the posts these past few days.

Hurricane Harvey hit Houston with intense force and the aftermath has been absolutely horrific. I can barely look at photos or videos of the flooding and the victims without becoming teary. YET. My social media feeds are turning to feeds of hope and love and support and a posture of humility and “how can I help?” responses are pouring forth.

Click on photo for source link.

From my sideline perspective, I’ve watched as the enemy tried his damnedest to divide us as a nation. He has shouted hatred and lies and had many of us believing we would never find our way back. We would be divided and downtrodden and fear would reign on our streets and in our homes. But, today, when suffering is rampant and hope should be dead and buried, light is pouring in. The stories of good, kind, selfless deeds are endless.

Please don’t hear me saying this storm was a good thing, no. It is horrific and the pain of loss and destruction and death is intense and real. Yet, I see us rising up.

Thank you, people of Houston. For inspiring us and reminding us that we can do better. We can go out into the storm and love recklessly. We can reach a hand out to our neighbors, and complete strangers; even the ones who look differently than us and believe differently than us. We can just pour out love.

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If you’re looking to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and don’t know where to turn, I wanted to share that our dear friends and partners at Help One Now will be working as a conduit to channel funds to those doing direct impact work on the ground. They will give away 100% of what is raised. They will be partnering with local organizations in Houston and the surrounding areas who will be effectively serving their own people on the long road to recovery.

So, IF you want to give, there are 2 ways to do it … mail in a check or give online.

If you want to mail in a check, just make your check out to “Help One Now” and make sure to write “Texas Hurricane Relief” in the memo. Then mail the check to:

Enter your donation amount in the box on the left that says One-time Donation, and select General Donation in the drop-down box.

Fill in your name, email and credit card info.

Type “Texas Hurricane Relief” in the Notes section. Make sure to do this, so that we know how to allocate the funds. And then we will make sure that 100% of your donation makes a direct impact in southeast Texas!

This week, I’ve shuffled all four of my little loves off to a new school, full of new people and new routines and new places. They have been so very brave – not without slight trembling and butterflies – but, brave nonetheless.

After school, pick-up has been full of laughter and escalating voices as each little attempts to interject with their own tale from the day. New friends, new teachers, new schedules, new reward systems…the cause of tummy aches and sleepless nights are now fun and exciting in the light of day.

I watch the trepidation turn into joy and I find my heart full of peace.

And, I feel a gentle nudge. A reminder. A sweet whisper in the wind.

I will never leave or forsake you. In all things. I am here.

I often find myself in mama-bear mode, questioning decisions like where to send my little people to school and how to protect them in this fallen world. I watch the news and read my social media feeds and feel overwhelmed. I am weary and exhausted from the strife and division and constant streaming negativity at every turn. I edge toward hopelessness. I wonder how any of us can possibly make a dent in the darkness. I want to move my people to a private island inside of a magical bubble and disconnect from it all.

That whisper.

In all things.

He is here. God is not a distant, condemning figurehead, watching from afar as we mess up over and over again. He doesn’t wring his mighty hands, anxiously awaiting the next news story or Facebook post or rally or protest or terrorist attack. He is here. Among us. With us. Moving. Working. Breathing life.

He is active. Even when this whole world threatens to move closer to the edge of darkness, He shines LIGHT. He works in and through us. His Kingdom is alive and well. Jesus taught us to pray for the Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. We don’t have to sit here, stewing, helplessly waiting for the Kingdom of Heaven. We can go right ahead and bring the Kingdom to earth. We can shine light and love and peace right here, right where we are. Because, He is right here with us. Shining right through us.

I have to remember the words I proclaim over my children in the morning. The words I say to remind them who they are. The words to remind them they have nothing to fear. The words I prayed and prayed that first day as they walked into the new building, nerves and fear building and rumbling and threatening to overwhelm their precious souls.

You are daughters and sons of the King of kings.

When you’re missing home or momma, you can close your eyes and take a deep breath and remember:

God is right here.

When this whole world threatens to overwhelm and the fear and terror seep in through the night, we can remember: He is right here with us. We can do this. We can love abundantly. We can hope relentlessly. We can listen quietly. We can be peacemakers.

I’m feeling all sorts of nostalgic today. We’re back home, settled into our space and looking to the big week ahead – the start of a new school year.

A first-time pre-schooler who is momma’s shadow and favorite snuggle bug.

A first-time kindergartner who I already lost too time with in her earliest years.

Two boys who will be starting a brand new school after spending the last few months partnering with a fledging and unprepared temporary homeschooling momma.

Milestone moments like these always make me a bit weepy. I realize time is moving forward at a break-neck pace regardless of how desperately I try to slow our schedules or create white space in our days or relish slow mornings or encourage wild and free creativity without structure or rules. Time still zips along.

Every so often, in moments like the ones we spent together on our little getaway, days move along slowly and I have time to pause, catch my breath, and look, really look, at my little loves. Time feels suspended in the best possible way. {I’m a very recent momma of two preschoolers, one toddler and one infant – I also am very aware of the fact that some days move slowly and trudge along in the exact opposite of the best possible way}. I realize how very much I enjoy these little people of mine. I love watching their personalities shape the way they see the world. I love hearing their thoughts and listening to their unique perspective on things. I love running through the rain together and laughing until we’re breathless. I love seeing their relationships with one another deepen as they interact and play and create a whole imaginative world only the four are privy to.

They’re ready to face a new year. They’re brave and strong and kind.

I’m a whole other story. I feel like I’m grasping at these last remnants of summer frantically, wishing I could bottle up this sweet stage we’re in. These four are no longer dependent on me for every little thing. They’re all sleeping through the night and wiping their own bottoms and able to get snacks on their own (and help their littlest sister too). They’re big enough to play board games at night and watch non-animated movies. We can listen to the audiobook of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe in the car, mesmerized by the tale together. We can plan dinners as a group and grocery shopping has evolved into a fun outing rather than a dreaded chore. We work together to return clean clothes to closets. We go outside and seek out adventures and stumble upon new places to explore.

And, best yet, they’re not too big. They still want to sit on my lap for snuggles. They still need momma to drape blankets on just so at night. They still need my opinions and direction and advice. They still need bedtime stories and prayers and songs, laying together in the dark before drifting off to sleep. They still hold a unmistakable innocent outlook on this great big earth. They still shine with joy and goodness. They are quick to forgive when my temper is too short or my words are sharp. They bestow mercy and love and so, so much grace.

We have a handful of days left in this lovely summer of 2017 and my little crew is set on making the most of each moment. See you next week with an overload of meet the teacher/first day photos:)!

But first, one last ‘Charlotte and the Kitten’ series (if you’ve seen my instagram or FB feed…this was a theme for our time in Minnesota:)). This sweet kitty is likely very relieved we went home! 🙂

A summer stop in Michigan has long been on my travel bucket list and we are finally here! We are all looking forward to a relaxing, slow-paced, water-and-sun-filled-but-not-scorching-hot week.

When we planned this whirlwind road trip, we knew we would go to Florida to visit family (and for Dave to hop down to the keys for the opening of lobster season, something he looks forward to with intensity all year long :)), then we would finish up in Minnesota for a wedding. That was honestly the extent of our planning. Normally, I am a fairly organized, detailed planner for our trips but I found myself burnt out from homeschooling + blueberry farming + a huge design/renovation project + all.the.things as this trip approached. So, we hopped in the car, bought an old school Atlas (so we could visualize our routes -> highly recommend!) and headed on our merry way.

Our first thought was to go up the eastern coast after leaving Florida with Niagara Falls as our main destination, then a quick stop-over in Michigan before finishing the trip in Minnesota. This itinerary would have meant something like 45+ hours of in-the-car time and zero down-time. No bueno for this crew.

So, we switched it up and came straight to Michigan from Florida. Because I tried to book a place to stay just last week, I had a really hard time finding anything reasonably priced and in a good location. I searched and searched and finally scored a cute little cottage on a canal (not right on the lake but at least we have water in the backyard so the boys can fish) on VRBO.

We drove into town last night right as the sun was beginning it’s slow descent. As we passed harbors full of sailboats, water glistening under the orange-hued sky, we fell hard for Michigan. I’m fairly certain we’re all going to like this slice of America.

I snapped this photo of our dock last night right after we arrived. After 13 hours in the car, we all RAN to the backyard to check out the water and our view.

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I received several questions on Instagram after I posted a picture of my favorite packing cubes (along with the fact that I only packed one suitcase for six people for three weeks), so I thought I would do a quick post on my packing tips for road trips.

Pack for a week.

No matter how long we are gone (four weeks in South Africa, for example), I always pack for one week per person. We are traveling for three weeks on this trip and each kiddo has 5 shirts/shorts or dresses per person + 2 swimsuits. Charlotte is the only one who has specific PJ’s because she refuses to wear “day time” clothes to bed. Everyone else has comfy travel clothes that can also serve as PJ’s.

Washing machines are a must.

We stop over in hotels for a night or two during long haul drives, however, the majority of the time, we stay in AirBNB or VRBO houses/condos at our destinations because hotel rooms become quickly cramped with six people and we need our space. I always make sure the house has access to a washing machine. (A dryer is a bonus when traveling internationally and never expected). This is critical and helps keep clothes packing to a minimum!

Skip the extra shoes.

For summer trips (including our South Africa trip), I pack one pair of slip-on shoes (flip flops and/or crocs/tevas for kids) and one pair of sneakers. That’s it. For this trip, I did include a dressier pair of shoes for Dave and I for the wedding we will attend. Shoes can take up a lot of extra space and I’ve learned that, 99% of the time, my entire family will only wear the easy slip-on, comfortable shoe option. Flip flops are great for in the car, easy to take off and put on for quick bathroom stops while driving.

Packing Cubes are your friend.

Each person has one large and one small packing cube. Large cubes contain all shorts, shirts, and dresses. Small cubes hold swimsuits, undies and socks. I have a fairly large suitcase that holds all of our cubes and I simply throw the cubes in, zip it up, and go. When we arrive at our destination, cubes either come out and go into dresser drawers (I keep clothes IN cubes during the trip to minimize repacking time – after laundry, clean clothes go back in appropriate cube), or they remain in the suitcase depending on the set up. In the current house we’re staying in, there is a large walk-in closet big enough for the suitcase to be open on the floor with cubes stacked inside. Super easy unpacking and re-packing! (I use these cubes).

Pack a cooler.

We pack a cooler for road trips full of water, grapes, cheese sticks, pj&j’s and other essentials for the drive. The cooler does double duty when we go to the beach for the day – we can pack waters and snacks for the beach.

Travel Bags for littles.

I have tried everything for packing car-entertainment-essentials for the littles. Cubbies, plastic totes, backpacks… you name it. This time, I snagged little pull-top bags from the Target dollar aisle and they’ve worked perfectly! I fill them with coloring books, crayons or markers depending on the child:), non-stick non-drying molding clay, books, tablets, stuffed animals, and notebooks. My big kids have had so much fun keeping a journal of where we’ve been in their notebooks. Each time we drive through a new state, they get out their notebook and write down the state name. I also encourage them to write additional notes and/or draw pictures of what they see. But, let’s be honest, that typically doesn’t happen. They love making the list of states though so I’ll call it a win. 🙂

Happy road-tripping, friends! We’re off to soak up these last precious weeks of summer!!

Hi there! I'm Jenny, wife to Dave and momma to four littles. My desire for this blog is to tell the stories God is writing in my own life with the purpose of encouraging you, dear reader, to seek joy in the midst of the ordinary and to relentlessly pursue Hope even when brokenness is abundant.